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Stephen Harper’s first big political oops?
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By Andy Radia | Canada Politics
One of the first rules you learn in 'Politics 101' is don't piss off the seniors.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper did just that, however, with his speech last week that fueled speculation he plans to lift the eligibility for Old Age Security to 67 (from 65).
Certainly, raising the age of eligibility for OAS makes a lot of economic sense.
Internal documents obtained by The Globe and Mail show the cost of providing OAS to Canadians 65 and over is on track to climb from $36.5-billion in 2010 to $48-billion in 2015 — an increase of 32 per cent — before rising to over $108 billion in 2030.
Other western democracies such as the United States, England, and France have already realized the necessity to increase their retirement ages. But sometimes good public policy isn't popular policy.
In this case, Harper may have erred.
Those over the age of 65 are among the most politically engaged demographic in the country - in the 2008 federal election, it's estimated that over 85 per cent of Canada's senior citizens cast ballots.
With his speech in Davos, Harper has alienated the seniors - the demographic which has traditionally supported his government in large numbers.
Moreover, there are millions of other Canadians who also want to ensure they're going to be taken care of in their retirement years.
Consequently, we're seeing a political backlash that we haven't seen since Harper became prime minister 6 years ago. Smelling blood, the opposition parties have jumped on this story like a pack of rabid wolves and aren't letting go.
Throughout the years Stephen Harper has proven himself to be a master political strategist.
From getting tough on crime to getting tough on the 'Libyas' of the world, Harper has gone relatively unscathed during his tenure as prime minister.
But with the OAS issue, the perception is that he's getting tough on seniors - and that's a political no-no.
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